The invention relates to a binding folder for holding paper sheets and the like including strips made of an elastically bendable material which are pulled through perforations in the sheets and extend to a counterholder.
Binding folders of this type are known (Binding Folder No. 8670U of Leitz Co., Stuttgart). In these binding folders, two fastening strips are provided, which project vertically away from a holding piece, consist of plastic, are pulled through corresponding perforations of the paper to be filed and, for fixing the stack of paper, are first pulled through an opening in a relatively stiff holding counterpiece, and from there, can be guided by a lateral pressing-in behind a clamping slot, which is open toward one side and which is directly adjacent to the first pull-through opening. A fixing is caused by this relatively sharp bending of the fastening strip. When paper is to be taken from the filed stack, the holding counterpiece must first be removed by detaching both fastening strips from their clamping slot. The perforations of the paper can then be pulled over the free end of the fastening strip. However, in this design, it is also possible, in order to permit an easier leafing-open of the filed stack, to place the holding counterpiece on the free end of the fastening strips by means of two clamping arms, so that the guiding path of the fastening strip is enlarged for the opening-up of and leafing-through the filed stack, without the occurrence of any undesirable removal of filed sheets from the stack.
In order to permit this type of facilitated turning of pages, however, the holding counterpiece must first be removed and then, with its two clamping arms, must be placed on the fastening strips. This is too inconvenient for some users.
An object of the invention is therefore to develop a binding folder of this type in such a manner that it becomes superfluous to awkwardly remove a counterholder and subsequently return it.
In order to achieve this object, an arrangement is provided wherein the slots in the counterholder include at least one pair of first and second counterholder slots closed on both sides and disposed at a predetermined distance (a) with respect to one another such that a fastening strip of the strip means is guided to be loosely movable through the first and second slots without being immovably clamped. This development makes it possible to hold filed paper, without any separate fixing process for the fastening strips, in a secure manner at the fastening strips without, however, as in the case of all other known binding folders, limiting, to a certain measurement, the free length of the fastening strips pulled through the perforations of the paper. The fastening strip is pulled only loosely through two openings in a counterholder assigned to the holding device of the fastening strips, this counterholder being foldably fastened at the holding device. The folding-open of the counterholder, which may, for example, be the top cover part of a folding cover, is therefore not impaired. The fastening strip slides loosely in the corresponding slots. It must be designed to be sufficiently long in order not to slide out of one of the two guiding slots during the folding-open process.
Advantageous further developments of especially preferred embodiments further enhance the reliability of operation and ease of manufacture of the binding folder. In especially preferred embodiments the slots in the counterholder are formed by punched out tongues. This results in the advantage that, despite the easy guiding of the fastening strips in the counterholder, which is not provided with any additional fixation, an undesirable falling-out of the filed stack of paper does not occur when the binding folder is closed. This is the result of the then occurring relationships of forces which prevent the pulling-out of the fastening strips from their slots by means of the weight of the filed stack of paper. The invention therefore provides the surprising possibility of being able, by a simple opening of the folding cover of a binding folder, to utilize the then longer course of the fastening strip for the leafing-open of the stack of paper.
In preferred embodiments with an arrangement of slot tongues extending oppositely at the spaced apart slots and with the selection of materials for the counterholder and fastening strips to be spring plastic material and unbreakable plastic material respectively, ensures also that the holder and the counterholder are sufficiently stable in order to permit the guiding-through of the fastening strip, without the requirement of carrying-out additional measures. The arrangement of the tongue serves as a guidance and a kind of brake for the fastening strip. The reason is that the springy tongues, which are punched out of the elastic bendable material of the counterholder always place themselves as closely as possible against the fastening strip.
In certain preferred embodiments, the slots or the tongues are arranged directly at the top cover part of a foldable double cover of the binding folder. It is also contemplated to attach in this type of a double cover a foldable holding counterpiece which may simply be fastened, together with the fastening end of the fastening strips, at the bottom cover part of the double cover.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.